Residents of temporarily occupied Oleshky in the Kherson region who expressed a desire to leave for Ukraine have been successfully evacuated and crossed the state border in the Chernihiv region. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, announcing the completion of the humanitarian mission, which was made possible thanks to the ceasefire established in the Kherson direction.
Ceasefire and Road Demining
According to the head of state, during the ceasefire, sappers carried out demining of roads in Oleshky. This made it possible not only to deliver humanitarian aid to the city, but also to evacuate local residents and people from surrounding communities who were in acute need of evacuation. The Ukrainian delegation, according to available data, arrived in Oleshky on October 30, after which the evacuation and distribution of humanitarian aid started in the city.
Evacuation Route and Border Crossing
The evacuated residents of Oleshky arrived in Gomel, Belarus, from where they left for Ukraine a few hours later. Tents were set up for them in the Chernihiv region bordering Belarus, and the evacuees were met by medical personnel, among others. According to Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, people at the border did not face filtration or phone checks: they transferred from Belarusian buses to Ukrainian ones. Along with the people, rescued domestic animals were brought to Ukraine in a separate bus.
Adaptation and Assistance to Evacuees
Zelenskyy emphasized that all evacuees will be provided with necessary assistance, and government structures, regional and local authorities are obliged to ensure the effective adaptation of the people. He expressed gratitude to the Defense Forces of Ukraine, who, according to him, "honorable guaranteed the safety conditions for the humanitarian operation," as well as to the team of Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
Role of Mediators and International Attention
The President expressed special gratitude to the American side and US First Lady Melania Trump for their mediation in organizing the mission. Separately, he thanked journalists, public, and political leaders for drawing global attention to the humanitarian situation in the occupied territory, noting: "When there is world attention, there is the rescue of people." Zelenskyy added that the country needs further de-escalation steps to genuinely approach peace.
Context of the Operation
As publications recall, Moscow and Kyiv agreed on a temporary ceasefire, which created the conditions for the start of the evacuation. Part of the residents of Oleshky decided to leave for Ukraine, another part — for Russia. According to journalists' estimates, about eleven buses with evacuees left for Ukraine, while four left in the direction of Russia. Thus, the humanitarian mission in Oleshky, which started on October 30, has currently been completed with the evacuees crossing the Ukrainian border.
